论语 The Analects chapter 19英2

孙祎卓

Therefore, the superior man hates to dwell in a low-lying situation, whereall the evil of the world will flow in upon him."Tsze-kung said, "The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses ofthe sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changesagain, and all men look up to him."Kung-sun Ch'ao of Wei asked Tszekung, saying. "From whom did Chung-ni gethis learning?"Tsze-kung replied, "The doctrines of Wan and Wu have not yet fallen to theground. They are to be found among men. Men of talents and virtue rememberthe greater principles of them, and others, not possessing such talents andvirtue, remember the smaller. Thus, all possess the doctrines of Wan andWu. Where could our Master go that he should not have an opportunity oflearning them? And yet what necessity was there for his having a regularmaster?"Shu-sun Wu-shu observed to the great officers in the court, saying,"Tsze-kung is superior to Chung-ni."Tsze-fu Ching-po reported the observation to Tsze-kung, who said, "Let meuse the comparison of a house and its encompassing wall. My wall onlyreaches to the shoulders. One may peep over it, and see whatever isvaluable in the apartments.
　　"The wall of my Master is several fathoms high. If one do not find the doorand enter by it, he cannot see the ancestral temple with its beauties, norall the officers in their rich array.
　　"But I may assume that they are few who find the door. Was not theobservation of the chief only what might have been expected?"Shu-sun Wu-shu having spoken revilingly of Chung-ni, Tsze-kung said, "It isof no use doing so. Chung-ni cannot be reviled. The talents and virtue ofother men are hillocks and mounds which may be stepped over. Chung-ni isthe sun or moon, which it is not possible to step over. Although a man maywish to cut himself off from the sage, what harm can he do to the sun ormoon? He only shows that he does not know his own capacity.
　　Ch'an Tsze-ch' in, addressing Tsze-kung, said, "You are too modest. How canChung-ni be said to be superior to you?"Tsze-kung said to him, "For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, andfor one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We ought to be carefulindeed in what we say.
　　"Our Master cannot be attained to, just in the same way as the heavenscannot be gone up by the steps of a stair.
　　"Were our Master in the position of the ruler of a state or the chief of afamily, we should find verified the description which has been given of asage's rule:-he would plant the people, and forthwith they would beestablished; he would lead them on, and forthwith they would follow him; hewould make them happy, and forthwith multitudes would resort to hisdominions; he would stimulate them, and forthwith they would be harmonious.
　　While he lived, he would be glorious. When he died, he would be bitterlylamented. How is it possible for him to be attained to?"